Western Open officials hope Tiger to play

updated 10:25 p.m. ET June 20, 2004

LEMONT, Ill. - Tiger Woods is expected to play in this year’s Western Open, a tournament he has won three times.

While they don’t have an official commitment, Western Open organizers said Wednesday they expect Woods to play at Cog Hill’s Dubsdread Course.

Woods has won the Western Open three times, including last year when he tied tournament records for overall score with a 21-under 267 and single-round score of 63.

“With Tiger defending his title against many of the world’s top golfers in our strong field ... we’re preparing for one of the most successful events in the 101-year history of the Western Open,” tournament director John Kaczkowski said in a statement Wednesday.

Woods has played in the Western Open eight of the last 10 years.

“This place has been very special to me,” Woods said last year after winning the event for a third time. “I’ve made a lot of friends.”

This year’s tournament will be held July 1-4 and have a prize purse of $4.8 million, including $864,000 to the winner.